The nail stops tapping; the nastiest little thought comes before Elan's mind. Doesn't the woman who tried to kill him have a daughter at the artificial intelligence department? He could run into her in the hallway, ask her for a favor -- "Oh, do you have a minute? I'm not feeling well today. I'd like you to frame something..." So strange and unfortunate, what happened. Heart giving out on her at dinner, just like that. No preexisting health conditions. What could have possibly been the cause? Stress? Everybody works ever so hard...
... But her mother would know better.
Elan knows better, too, than to retaliate or entertain pointless fantasies of revenge when keeping others in suspense about the consequences of their actions would make for a sweeter torture. Right when the woman starts to feel the tension go from her shoulders and relaxes into that ever-present, pervasive sense of "something should've gone wrong, yet..."
That's when the call from human enhancement will come.
Yes, when Elan approaches her daughter about hanging the diploma behind his desk later, he'll do it with a pair of gloves. A small reminder; a perverse commemoration -- ]
I'll take care of it.
[ -- a flight of fancy from the issue at hand.
It's a relief that Elan doesn't have to explain, walk Four through the obvious, reevaluate his belief that this person is -- somehow; yes -- someone he can rely upon. Four's question is indication enough of it all.
For a moment, Elan almost permits himself to think, That's why. He'll need an ally (who is functionally useless) while he's getting his footing (avoiding the opportunities for missteps and extortion said ally facilitates simply by being alive). It makes sense (that is, none). It's fine (it's ludicrous). Almost permits, because swinging between extremes of reason to avoid whatever abyss lies below them sets Elan's stomach churning again; almost permits, because Elan recognizes that unfocused look in Four's eyes, that preternatural calm from --
It's the strain, isn't it.
-- before, in his bedroom at Asticassia. (There the whole time.)
Not again. No 'but's, this time. The words are out of Elan's mouth before he realizes they'll do more harm for having been spoken, half-whispered, sprung from his own intolerable sense of unease. ]
What's wrong?
[ Ineed you to -- / want you to -- / have to -- / don't -- / wish -- / can't have you -- / won't have you -- / require you to -- / demand -- / please --
elan ceres' kira moment
The nail stops tapping; the nastiest little thought comes before Elan's mind. Doesn't the woman who tried to kill him have a daughter at the artificial intelligence department? He could run into her in the hallway, ask her for a favor -- "Oh, do you have a minute? I'm not feeling well today. I'd like you to frame something..." So strange and unfortunate, what happened. Heart giving out on her at dinner, just like that. No preexisting health conditions. What could have possibly been the cause? Stress? Everybody works ever so hard...
... But her mother would know better.
Elan knows better, too, than to retaliate or entertain pointless fantasies of revenge when keeping others in suspense about the consequences of their actions would make for a sweeter torture. Right when the woman starts to feel the tension go from her shoulders and relaxes into that ever-present, pervasive sense of "something should've gone wrong, yet..."
That's when the call from human enhancement will come.
Yes, when Elan approaches her daughter about hanging the diploma behind his desk later, he'll do it with a pair of gloves. A small reminder; a perverse commemoration -- ]
I'll take care of it.
[ -- a flight of fancy from the issue at hand.
It's a relief that Elan doesn't have to explain, walk Four through the obvious, reevaluate his belief that this person is -- somehow; yes -- someone he can rely upon. Four's question is indication enough of it all.
For a moment, Elan almost permits himself to think, That's why. He'll need an ally (who is functionally useless) while he's getting his footing (avoiding the opportunities for missteps and extortion said ally facilitates simply by being alive). It makes sense (that is, none). It's fine (it's ludicrous). Almost permits, because swinging between extremes of reason to avoid whatever abyss lies below them sets Elan's stomach churning again; almost permits, because Elan recognizes that unfocused look in Four's eyes, that preternatural calm from --
It's the strain, isn't it.
-- before, in his bedroom at Asticassia. (There the whole time.)
Not again. No 'but's, this time. The words are out of Elan's mouth before he realizes they'll do more harm for having been spoken, half-whispered, sprung from his own intolerable sense of unease. ]
What's wrong?
[ I need you to -- / want you to -- / have to -- / don't -- / wish -- / can't have you -- / won't have you -- / require you to -- / demand -- / please --
Elan touches the back of Four's hand.
-- stay / listen / don't fall. ]